Biker Ady meets up with dad’s ‘long lost’ Triumph
A LOCAL BIKER was pleased to find his father’s old bike in good hands and still on the island after always wondering what had become of it.
Guernsey Press photographer Ady Miller rides a Triumph Speedmaster cruiser, having recently got back into riding.
‘I have always been interested in motorcycles. I have owned a few Japanese models over the years, but I have always loved Triumphs and I think that is because my Dad owned one.’
Mr Miller has started riding with the local Triumph Owners Motorcycle Club, TOMCC.
‘On a ride-out recently I saw another one of the members, Paul Etasse, pull up on a Triumph Bobber which he customised himself, a 350cc converted to a 500cc engine, an eye-catching machine which attracted a lot of attention from the other members.
‘During the ride I was following Paul and was admiring his bike.’
After the island tour, the group stopped and Mr Miller introduced himself to Mr Etasse.
They became friends on social media and soon after the outing Mr Etasse posted photos of his customised bike along with the log book online.
Mr Miller spotted his father’s name written in it.
‘I was stunned,’ he said.
‘I was on a ride with my dad’s old bike and I didn’t even know it.’
Mr Miller’s dad, Dave, bought the Triumph T21 in 1959 from Herbie Tostevin in St Martin’s.
‘It was great to know it was still around after all these years, although now reincarnated.
‘For years I wondered what had happened to the bike and my mum had photos of it somewhere, some of me sitting on it when I was about two years old.
‘I know dad loved the bike and would strip it down inside the house and prepare it for rides up to his home town of Liverpool with mum on the back,’ said Mr Miller.
‘He was taking pictures of his dad’s bike and didn’t even know,’ said Mr Etasse, who said that the Good Friday ride was the first he had been on with the group.
Mr Etasse had wanted a Triumph for a while.
‘I bought it a year ago and it took a year on and off to finish, it was pretty much a year to the day I bought it that I first rode it.
‘I was never going to go this far but I got a bit carried away,’ he said.
Mr Etasse worked on the bike with the help of Guernsey motorcycling legend Mad Dave.
The customised bike has been finished for only a few weeks but Mr Etasse has already taken it to a show in the Netherlands.
‘I thought people would lynch me for cutting up an old bike, but everybody’s been really good.
‘The Triumph guys have been really great, everyone seems to dig it,’ he said.
The bike has had many owners over the years but unusually has kept the same registration number.
‘I was going to look for another number but knowing it’s got its original number plate, I think I’ll keep this one,’ said Mr Etasse. ‘I find it amazing to think it’s been ridden up to Liverpool.’
Mr Miller said he would be interested if the bike was ever up for sale again – however, as the first bike Mr Etasse has built, he said it was a keeper.
